Method and apparatus fob reforming worn mining chain lugs



March 8, 1932. QLDACRE 1,848,493

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFORMING WORN MINING CHAIN LUGS Filed Feb. 26.1931 INVENTOR Albert L. Olaacre ATTO RN EYS Patented Mar. 8, 1932 SUIE vALBERT OLDACRE, E MANcHEsTEE, ALAB MA, AssIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF To 1 A'USBYH. atoms, 0F MANCHESTER, L BAMA METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REFORMING WORNMINING CHAIN LUGS Application filed February 26, 1931. Serial No.518,448.

My invention relates to a new and improved-method and apparatus forreforming worn mining chain lugs and like devices, which in use have theeyes that receive the chain link bosses subjected to wear and stresseswhich deform such eyes and render the lug or device thereafter unusable.

My invention has its most important field .in the coal mining industrywhere power driven chains carrying lugs in which cutters are mounted areutilized to'undercut the coal and to otherwise serve in connection withmining operations.

I have found by long experience with such mining chains that afterrelatively short usage due to the severe duties imposed by the work. themine chain lugs have their eyes v subjected to such wear and stressesthat these eyes become worn and deformed and as a result the coaction ofthe sprockets with these lugs is interfered with and excessive wearresults, and if this is permitted to continue the sprocket teeth or thechain will break. Therefore. the practice in the industry is that when.substantial wear appears in these chain lu s the chain. is discarded.

The purpose and object of my invention is to recover the value in. theseused chains and to reform the chain lugs by a simple and comparativelyinexpensive operation which renders them. practically as .qood as newand thus restores full value to the mining chain when reassembled. withsuch reformed lugs.

My invention contemplates removing the worn chain lugs from the miningchain. heatinc: their eyes to cherry red. and placing them in a pressand. mounting in the lug eyes mandrels slightly tapered and o such diamjeter as to render the eye reformed about them slie'ht-lv smaller thanthe original eve. Power is then applied to the press and the metal isunset against these mandrels. after which the lug is removed from thepress. the ta er mandrels are knocked out and the'sli htlv tapered holesare reamed to a true diameter correspondinn' to that of the original newchain lug. Thus I obtain a reformed or reconditioned lun' which issubstantially as strong and mechanically as accurate as the original lugand this process can continue until the gradual loss of metal throughthe reaming operation and wear will render the eyes too weak forservice.

To enable my improved reforming process to be carried into effect, Ihave shown the preferred mechanism to this end which is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings which form a part'of this specification, andin which Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of the press showing a chain lug inposition at the completion of the reforming operation with the mandrelsshown in cross section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view 3 taken on the line II-II ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is antenlarged side elevation of a Wornchain lug showing" themandrels in position and illustrating the extent of the wear anddeformation which is to be corrected by the reforming operation.

In the practice of my invention, I have shown the same as especiallyapplied to the reformation of. chain lugs which comprise a body portion5 having end eyes 6 which re- W ceive the bosses on the mine chainlinks. The body of the lug 5 is provided with a suitable aperture suchas is formally illustrated at 7 to receive a mining tool (not shown)which held in placeby a set screw adapted to be received in the threadedaperture 8. It will be understood that the body of the chain lug willvary widely according to different designs an'duses. and my invention isnot thereforeflconcerned with the body structure of the lug but onlywiththe reformation of its eyes 6. I

Fig. .3 illustrates the result of wear and strain upon these eyes andshows eyes 6a which are worn and deformed. When eyes get in thiscondition the chain becomes unserviceable and heretoforehas beendiscarded. In recovering such a chain the lugs are removed. theyareheated and while hot. the lug is set between. the lower jaw 10 and theupper aw 11 of a. press and the mandrels are inserted in the eyes 6a. vThese aws are separated at their outer end in order to permit theextension 12 of the body portion, which carries the cutting tool, to bereceived there- 1 in with ample clearance so as to be unaffected by theoperation of the press. The press jaws are recessed at 13 to receive therounded ends ofthe lugs in which the eyes are formed and these recessesare semi-circular in shape and conform to the correct diameters of .thereformed eye. The jaws are formed with back walls 14 and 15 which engageand brace the wall 16' of the lug body and thus hold it againstdeformation or strains during the reforming .op erati0n- The press; jaw.10 carries a pair of vertical pins-26 which ,1 scope with a loosesliding fit into holes 17 formed'in the upper press jaw and a-co ilspring 18, housed in suitable recesses in the jaws, will tend toseparate them.

.U-shaped links 19am pivotally mounted on the press element lObya. pin20 with its aXis in alignment With the axes of the lug eyes Betweenthenpper ends of th se links 19 .I mount ever 21 on a pin 22, the l ercarrying. an offset yoke 2.3 in which a roller 2; is pivotally mountedand adapted to -en gage the upper press jaw 11. AS the lever themandrels!) until the eyes are reformed g to conform to mamm ls, afterwhich the lag is removed from the press, the taper mandrels are knockedout and. the taper eyes left are. eamed out, removing just sufiicientlinetal'to true up the eye. to the correct die o ameter. after which theleg i ready to be einstalled in the, e ai i nd'will render practjlcallyas good service as a new 111g, because al 9f the wear in service takesplace on the outer half of the lug eyes and the inner half i leftnnworn, Therefore when the outer half cf the eyeis r formed the centerscf h eye. opening are no disturbed and all refer.

ma-ticn is confined o .thathalf 0f he y wh ch is subjected. to; wear anddeformation bedone Without skilled labor.

Though Ihave described withgreat partie lerity th deta ls of thembodiment of the nvention herein shown, it is not to be construed that Iam limited thereto, as hanges in arrangement and substitution ofequivalents may he madeby thoseskilled in the a t Withoutdeparting fromthe invention a d fined in the appended claims- WhatfIclaim' is I V ,l-Thelhereiil escribed method forrthe v refo m ioncf .worn cha n lugs,which conists in removing the wornlug frQm the chain, hea ingits eyes,and swaging the worn portions of, the deformed lug eyes against mandrelsresting against the unworn portions of the lug eyes. until the centersof the eyes. assume their original distance fromeach other.

2. The herein described method e e reformation of worn chainlugs,which'consists in removing the worn lug from the chain, heating itseyes, swaging the wornportions of the deformed lug eyes against mandrelsresting against the unworn portions of the lug eyes until the centers ofthe eyes assume their original distance from each' other, and reaming"out the reformed eyes. I 8. An apparatus for reforming chain lugscomprising arpresshaving jaws rece d to receive and conformto thebody-portion of a new unworn lug in which the eyes are formedandle-verage means to force the jaws against deformedlug eyes to swagethe worn portion of the lug eyes until the centers of the eyes assumetheir original distance from each other, in combination with mandrelsseated against the unworn portion of the lug eyes and against which theworn portion of the eyes are adapted to be swaged by the press.

4:. An apparatus according to ciaim 3, in which themandrels are slightlytapered. 5. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which the presscomprisesxspring separated members, means to guide said members inrectilineal movement, and leverage means comprising links pivoted to onepress memher and carrying a roller bearing lever e11- aging the otherpress member with the axis of the links and .of the roller insubstantialalignment with the center sof the eyes of the chain lug interposedbetween the press elements. ii

6. A press according to claim in which in use. This will result. in.large ecqnemies Y in mining operatmnsand the reforming can-

